Metal-furniture construction



March 11, 1930. R. BRADSHAW I METAL FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION I Filed Dec. 13. 1926 a W M. 5 Ir ,ga m mv vvw mm r f m Patented Mar. 11, 1939 UNITE ST S Parr QFFICE RICHARD BRADSHAW, F IMQNTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, ASSIGNOR 'l'O SIMMONS COMPANY, or new roan, N. Y.,

A COR'POEATIOEI Q1 DELAWARE METAL-FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION Application filed December 13, 1926-v ends, dressers, radiator and other screens,

chair and table frames and the like, and the object is to provide a bottom rail of attractive appearance which may be easily and cheaply manufactured and also to provide a new and improved construction embodying a bottom rail.

Metal bed ends of the better class are now constructed largely of tubular steel members which combine strength and lightness. The present tendency is away from the straight line designs that have formerly been favoured and it is found impossible to follow this tendency in tubular structures owing to the limitations inherent from the only commercial methods of manufacturing the tubes used and also from the necessities arising in attachment of fillers and panels.

According to this invention, bottom rails are formed of a metal sheet cut or stamped to present an ornamentally curved lower edge, the said sheet being backed by a member of thickness suflicient to have the necessary strength and to provide for the attachment of fillers or panels.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate various embodiments of the invention but to any or all of which the invention is not confined Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a bed end showing one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view on an enlarged scale at the line 22 of Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing another embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 but at the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are cross sectional views illustrating various further modifications of the invention.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary front elevation of the structure of Figure 6.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 11 designates the top rail, 12 the posts and 13 the bottom rail of a bed end frame in which may be located a panel 14. While the Serial No. 154,598.

illustration is of a bed end, it will be understood that the features of construction hereinafter pointed out in connection with same may be applied equally well to other articles of furniture and that structures, other than the simple panel shown, may be enclosed by the frame.

The bottom rail comprises a sheet of metal 15 and one or more stiffening members 16 and In one form of rail which has 17 therefor. been found particularly advantageous, the stiffening member 16 is a small angle bar, one flange of which is brazed or welded to the plate 15 and the other flange of which projects rearwardly at the level of the upper edge of the plate. The lower edge 18 of the plate is cut or pressed, as shown, to an ornamentally curved form and maybe strengthened by a flange, either formed integral with the plate or attached thereto, forming the lower stiffening member 17, as shown in Figure 4. This stiffening member 17 may, however, be omitted as shown, for example, in Figure 2, or may be applied to any or all of tie embodiments shown in Figures 2 and 5 to 7 inclusive. The rail plate 15 is separate from the panel 14, as will be clearly seen in Figure 2 and is preferably considerably thicker, so that the lower edge thereof will not require stiffening.

In Figures 3, 4 and 5, there are shown modifications in which the rail plate 15 is formed integral with the panel. In such constructions, unless the panel sheet is unusually thick, it is preferable to stiffen the lower edge of the rail plate by fianging or otherwise, as shown at 17 in Figure 4. The panel and rail plate may lie in the same plane as in Figure 4, or the sheet from which they are formed may be slightly offset or shouldered, as shown at 19, Figure 5, the stiffener 16 being located in contact with shoulder.

When the design of the bed permits, a tube 20 may be used as stiffener for the rail. This tube may be in the same relation to the rail sheet as the angle 16, or may be slit open at intervals in its lower edge to receive tongues 21 projecting from the rail plate 15 as shown in Figure 8.

In Figure 7 there is shown what is more a modification of the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 than a distinctly separate embodiment. In this modification, the upper stiffening member, designated 16, is a flange formed integral with the rail plate. This flange may be apertured or slit as necessary for the insertion of fillers or panel tongues.

The posts are preferably apertured and the ends of the rail let into the posts, as at 22.

The panel sheets, when used, are attached to the upper rail stifieners in the usual manner, a bead strip 23 being used where neces sary and covering the upper edge of the rail plate in constructions, such as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

In constructions such as shown in Figures 5 and 7, the shoulder or flange may parallel the lower edge of the sheet or be otherwise ornamentally formed. Also, the upper edge of the rail plate in constructions such as that of Figures 1 and 2 may be ornamentally curved.

By using a rail plate separate from the panel, it becomes unnecessary to use a thickness of metal in the panel sheet sufiicient to have the strength requisite for a bottom rail and for an ornamentally cut unstifiened lower edge. The thick plate 15 with its stiffening member or members forms a simple, strong, and inexpensive rail, which has the great advantage over tubular bottom rails hitherto used that it may be ornamentally formed, thus opening a new field in the design of metal furniture.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In metal furniture, in combination with posts and a panel between the posts, a bottom rail connecting the posts and supporting the lower edge of the panel comprising a plate located in a plane lying forwardly of and parallel with the plane of the panel, a stifi ening member behind the upper part of said plate, and a bead strip holding the panel to the stiffening member and covering the upper edge of the plate.

2. A metal bed end comprising posts and a top rail. a panel sheet, a bottom rail sheet disposed in a plane located forwardly of the panel sheet, and a stiffening member extending between the posts at the meeting of the panel sheet and rail sheet and supporting both.

3. In metal beds, an end including posts and a top rail. a plate extending from post to post toward the lower ends thereof and connected at its ends with the posts, a stif'lening member rigidly connected to the back of the plate and extending from post to post and connected to the posts, and a panel sheet above said plate occupying a plane in rear of the plane of the plate and substantially parallel therewith.

at. In metal beds, posts and a top rail, a panel sheet in the space between the posts and top rail, a plate extending from post to post below said panel sheet and connected at its ends with said posts and disposed in a plane located forwardly of the plane of the panel sheet, means connected with the lower edge of the panel sheet and the upper edge of the plate, whereby the plate has the appearance of a bottom rail of thickness sufficient to project forwardly of the panel sheet, and a stiffening member extending from post to post and rigidly connected with the plate and with the posts.

5. In metal beds, posts and a top rail, a panel sheet in the spacebetween said posts and top rail, a plate extending from post to post below the panel sheet disposed in a plane located forwardly of the plane of the panel sheet, means rigidly connected with the upper edge of said plate extending rearwardly under the panel sheet and connected with the lower edge thereof, said means being rigidly connected at its ends to the posts.

(3. In metal beds, posts and a top rail, a panel sheet in the space between said posts and top rail, a plate extending from post to post below the panel sheet disposed in a plane located forwardly of the plane of the panel sheet, means rigidly connected with the upper ed e of said plate extending rearwardly to and connected with the lower edge of the panel sheet, and a stiffening member rigidly connected to the plate and extending longitudinally thereof.

7. In metal beds, posts and a top rail, a panel sheet in the space between the posts and top rail, a plate extending from post to post below the panel sheet and disposed in a plane located forwardly of the plane of the panel sheet, and means filling the space between the lower edge of the panel sheet and the upper edge of the plate, and a member connected at its ends to the posts and connected between its ends with the plate and panel sheet.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

RICHARD BRADSHAW. 

